It happens every season. You’re cruising along at the end of the regular season, through divisional weekend and then suddenly it hits you, holy hell there are only three football games left. Where did it all go? Really? This is it? It hardly seems fair, we were just getting started after that great divisional weekend. How about we play into the Super Bowl round-robin style so we can get more games? No? Well, it never hurts to ask. (Okay, four games with the Pro Bowl. I like the Pro Bowl and even I don’t count it as a remaining game of the 2012-2013 season.)

If you’re like I am when it comes to the end of the season, you want to hold on as long as you can. Normally I can only take sports talk radio in small doses. Super Bowl month? All day, all night, yelling at the speakers when someone calls into “Moving the Chains” or whatever show happens to be running at the time, leaving the NFL Network on in the background, actually buying a physical copy of Sports Illustrated to sit and read in quiet without the distraction of the internet.

I wish I could embed it here, but the NFL keeps the good stuff on lockdown, so I’m just going to link to the video, NFL Films Presents: Best Shots From 2012. Enjoy the extra seven minutes of football while you can.

Super Bowl Recipe Month: Beer Cheese Soup and Kielbasa Potato Bake

This is a good one-two punch if you’re looking for recipes for the Conference Championship games. You can make a rich, cheesy soup filled with vegetables, herbs and spices for the 49ers-Falcons game and at the same prep an easy one-dish meal or side of hearty kielbasa, potatoes and peppers for Ravens-Pats that all you have to do is throw in the oven. Can’t think of an easier way to entertain this Sunday.

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Also might try searing the kielbasa–slice lengthwise, then just a couple minutes on the grill (or in a pan if you have to live somewhere like NYC where you can’t just keep a gas grill handy all the time like we old people do). Adds a heartiness to the meat.

Both of these are staples to my culinary repertoire, but your nuanced differences to my recipes sound really good.

2 changes I think you should try
1. try an non bitter ale (long trail or harpoon work great) in your soup to add some beer flavor. I do this often and the results are good.
2. Try adding some whole garlic cloves to the sausage peppers and potatos; they give a great aroma to the dish, and the whole roasted cloves can be easily spread on crusty bread (its unbelievable).

I’ve had success with Fat Tire, but I still prefer the lighter beers because they don’t fight with the cheese.

Love whole roasted garlic just one its own. If it’s just me for dinner, I’ve been known just to roast a head of garlic (1/2 tablespoon butter, 1/2 olive oil, kosher salt) and have it with a small baguette. Just lovely.